MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said he discussed issues of cooperation, including in the energy and defense sectors, with his Russia counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

"We discussed with President Putin efforts toward the comprehensive development of our cooperation, including in the energy and defense sectors," he said in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin, which was posted on his Telegram channel.

"The criminal sanctions that were imposed by the United States on Venezuela and Russia, are the heritage of the past world where Western countries are seeking domination, manipulation of freedom, manipulation with the use of the dollar to hinder progressive movement," he said.

Maduro arrived in Kazan to take part in the BRIS Summit on October 22. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 23 and spoke at the plenary session in the BRICS Plus/Outreach forma.

The 16th BRICS Summit, the key event of Russia’s chairmanship in the association, was held in Kazan on October 22-24. On the second day of the summit, participants adopted the Kazan Declaration. Among other key issues, the document highlighted the group’s development and its position on global problems and resolving crises, including in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became its full-fledged members. The Kazan summit became the first to be attended by the new members of the association as full-fledged members.